The best tool for cutting wire hands down is a pair of bypass pruning shears. We keep three sizes in each truck and at every work station. We buy the small pruners at Menards for less than $5 a pair. Black & Decker makes a nice 18" shear that we got for around $10 each. they work great on power supplies and you cut all day without your hands hurting. We also use the long handle loping shears for heavy gauge wire, flexible conduit, etc. You want the bypass type rather than the anvil style. You can easily sharpen them with a file or small handheld grinder if they get really dull.
For stripping circuit boards, nothing beats an air chisel with an inch and a half wide scrapper chisel. We have learned from painful experience that all air chisels are not created equal. You get what you pay for. A $40 air hammer will kill your wrists and hands in an hour or two. If you going to strip a lot of boards, invest in a good air hammer that has some weight and shock absorbing features. It will run $175 dollars or more but it is well worth the investment. You will also need a good air compressor to power it.
Hope this helps. TRB
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